Shoulder and chest protecting device



June 17, 1930.

w. P. WHI TLEY l;764,667

SHOULDER Ami CHEST PROTECTING EVI E Filed May 2, 1928 {71- TO FMeys Patented June-17, 1930 T UMT D w nLrA vr r. HITLEY, or sr. LouisraissoUnI, Assienon TO RAWLINGS ANU AC- 'rUnInGcoMrANY, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A ooaromirion osivussounr SHOULDER AND CHEST PRDTEG TING DEVICE Application filed May 2, 1928. Serial No. 274,549.

, This invention relates to shoulder and chest protecting devices of the kind that are used by football players, and particularly to protecting devices of the type that comprise 51 two connected pads or main sections that extend over the shoulders, shoulder blades and upper portion of the chest of the .user.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a shoulder and chest protecting 1o" device of the general type mentioned in which themeans that is used to hold the two pads or main sections of the device ino 3erativeposition on the users body is inexpensive to construct, is capable of being adjusted I5 quickly and'easily either to draw-the two main sections into snug engagement with the user?s body, or to release said sections, and is of such design that it will securely hold said main sections in adjusted position, not- "26' withstanding the fact that the holding means is held or retained by frictional pressure.

Figure 1 isaperspective View ,ofa shoulderandchest' protecting device embodying H my present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view, showing one of the side straps, the tunnel or channel that -re'ceives the doubled portion of said strap, and the loop, ring or guide in the tunnel through which said strap passes; and p Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings which illustrates ,the preferred form of my invention, A

designates two pads or main sections that eX- that extend under the users arms, and which.

.are combined with the sections A in such a 0 way that it is only necessary to exert a pull on the free ends of the side straps B order to draw the sections Ainto snug engagement with the users body. Each of the holding members orside straps B is permanently connected at one end, preferably atits rear end, to the rear'side of one of the sections A,

and the opposite end. of'said strap is adjustably connected to the front portionof the section A ofthe device withwhich said strap co-operates. p l

The novelty of my improved shoulder and chest protecting device consists in the means that is used to adjustably connect the side straps or holding members B to the sections A of the device. Each of the sections vA is provided at its front side, adjacent'its bottom edge, with an internal tunnel or chan;

nel that extends inwardly from the side edge I ofsaid section, and which is open at its outer end. A loop, eye or other suitable devlce 2 is arrangedinside of said tunnel some distance inwardly from the outer endof the tunnel so as to form a guide around which or' throu h which the side strap or holding "member passes, as shown in broken lines 1n Figure 1.

Any snitablemeans can be used'to anchor the loop oreye 2, but I prefer to use a strip of material 3, which, "after being; passed through the eye 2, is doubledand the terminal portionsof said stripithen secured to the front portion of the pad A preferably by the stitches 4 that'are used to close the inner end of the tunnel or channel in which the doubled portion of the side strap B: is positioned.

The frictional engagement between the doubled portion of eachof the side straps B and the walls of the tunnel in which said doubled portion is positioned is made use of:

to hold said'side strap in adjusted position,

and in order to eliminate the possibility of said strap slipping, I'prefer to arrange a partition in the wardly some distance from the outer end of the tunnel and which is interposed between the two overlapping parts of the'doubled portion-of the side strap B that'is positioned in said tunnel, thus, in eifect, forming a separate casing or passageway for each part of the doubled portion of the. sidestrap that comprises two side walls that embrace. said tunnel that extends inpart. The side straps B can be formed from webbing or any other suitable material, and the portions of the main sections or pads A that constitute the tunnels for the double portions of the side straps can be constructed from any suitable material that has a tendency to prevent said side straps from slipping. I prefer, however, to construct the partitions 5 of said tunnels from leather and also provide the side walls of said tunnels with leather facing pieces that extend either over the entire area of said side walls, or over a portion of the area of said side walls. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the front wall of each tunnel is provided with an inner facin 6 of leather that extends throughout the entire len th of said wall, and t 1e rear wall is provided with an 7f tl"htl'- inner iacin .ea ier t at ex ones in .wvardly some distance from the end of the tunnel, as shown in Figure 3.

Each of the side straps B extends forwardly from the rear side of the particular section A of the device with which said strap co-operates thence inwardly through the tunnel in the front portion of said section to the loop or ring 2 arranged adjacent the inner; end of said tunnel, the strap then extending in the opposite direction to the outer end of thetunnel, as shown in Figure 3. Due

to the factthat each part of the double portion of the strap is arranged between the partition and the opposed side wall of the tun- V nel, there is sufficient frictional area between :the strap and the parts of the structure that engage the doubled portions of the strap to eliminate the possibility of the strap slipping accidentally. To tighten-the side straps B so as to draw the sections or pads A into snu en a einent with the users bod it is a: m a

only necessary to exert an outward pull on the free ends of the side straps B, and to loosen the device or release it from snug engagement with the users body,,it is only necessary to pull outwardly on the portions of the side straps B that extend under the users arms. Accordingly, a shoulder and chest protecting device of the construction above described has the desirable characteristic of being capable of being drawn into snug engagement with the users body simply by pulling the side straps in one direction,

and is capable of being released simply by pulling said straps in the opposite direction.

After being adjusted, however, there is little danger of the side straps or holding members B slipping accidentally, due to the relatively great frictional area between the doubled portions of said straps and the sidewalls of the two casings in which the overlapped parts of the doubled portions of said straps are positioned. A holding means of the construction above described is suificiently strong and rugged to successfully withstand the strains to which shoulder and chest protions, side straps arranged under the users arms and having their rear ends connected to the rear portions of said sections, a tunnel in the front portion of each of saidsections that extends inwardly from the side edge of said section, a devicearranged in each of said tunnels and permanently anchored in same, for receiving a doubled portion of the side strap that is positioned in thetunnel, and vertically-disposed immovable partition in each of said tunnels that divides the interior of the tunnel into two separate and d inc-t passageways, each of which comprises side walls that exert frictional pres sure on one part of the doubled portion of the side strap.

2. A shoulder and chest protecting device, comprising two connected pads or main sections, side straps having their rear ends atached to the rear side of said sections, tunnels in the front portion of said sections that extend inwardly over the side edges of said sections, an eye or loop in each tunnel, adapted to receive a doubled portion of the side strap that is positioned in the tunnel, a holding device for each of said eyes formed from a. strip of material that is doubled and then secured by stitches to the section in which the tunnel is formed, and means in each of said WILLIAM P. l/VHITLEY. 

